Playground Physics

Playground Physics is a technology-based application and accompanying curriculum designed for middle school students (grades 6-8) to support science engagement and learning of force, energy, and motion. The program includes professional development (approximately 9 hours total across two sessions), the Playground Physics iOS app installed on iPads, and a curriculum aligned with New York State Learning Standards, Common Core State Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards. The app allows students to record and review videos through three "lenses": motion, force (Newton's third law), and energy. The curriculum integrates informal and formal, inquiry-based learning strategies using small groups and includes three units (motion, force, energy) that can be implemented using either a curriculum sequence approach (series of guided lessons) or a science investigation approach (student-designed experiments). Teachers received a class set of iPads with the app installed and the Playground Physics activity guide. The program was designed to be implemented in formal school settings during the regular school day, with teachers typically supplementing Playground Physics with their regular curriculum.